Rabbitwind walked through the entrance of camp after a frustrating hunt. Despite the abundance of prey this Greenleaf she only managed to catch one rabbit. Although it was a young and spry one the she-cat felt she could do better. She was pulled out of her thoughts at the sound of busy gossiping within the camp. Cats of all ages, even the elders, were up and about in the clearing. Near the medicine den she could see a scarred, blue-grey tabby and a cream colored she-cat. Her friends: Jaywhisper and Sugarfish.
Rabbitwind walked over to them, a quizzical expression clear on her face. "What's going on? Why is everyone so excited?"
The blue-grey tabby answered calmly. "A runaway was taken in, word got around she's from Blackclan."
"She looked really beaten up when she got here. I hope she's okay..." Sugarfish commented, a worried look in her eyes.
Rabbitwind absorbed this information for a moment and then began to speak.
"How about we go check on her? I'm curious to hear why she ran away," she then added, "And we can see if she's alright."
This seemed to comfort the cream colored she-cat and she relaxed. She looked over at Jaywhisper to hear her thoughts.
The tabby she-cat gave a careful nod. "It wouldn't do any harm I suppose. Just don't bother her too much."
With that said she led the way inside of the den. The protected inside smelt of mixed herbs and housed a couple of soft moss beds, some freshly made. Inside one of the nests was a black she-cat with many scars, the most notable one being a fearsome gash down half of her face. The deep wound was thankfully not a fresh one, though pink flesh replaced where fur used to be. Rabbitwind couldn't help but shiver slightly at the sight. Despite her friend bearing a similar scar, it was hard to be unfazed by one like this.
The hoarse voice of the she-cat spoke up. "Please, don't be scared. I am friendly, I promise."
Being a devoted medicine cat, Jaywhisper asked if she was feeling well. The tired runaway was about to signal with her head but checked herself. "Yes, I feel well enough."
Sugarfish took a tentative step forward. "If you don't mind, ma'am, could you tell us why you ran away?"
She gave a nod. "Please, call me Blackwing. I will tell you what I can muster, as I am weary after testing my legs to their limits. Blackclan is getting worse every day. The warriors are getting harsher on the apprentices, kits are being pushed to train early, the patrols are being more than doubled. I fear that Blackstar is preparing to start a war with your clan."
The group looked horrified at these acts, especially when the only conclusion is the start of a war. "Does Cloudstar know about this?" Rabbitwind questioned.
Jaywhisper was the one to answer. "Yes, but she is currently holding council with her deputy and companions. I fear that they will fight back, and we will all see loved ones die."
Sugarfish looked dismayed and shook her head solemnly. "I wish there was some other way..."
Blackwing perked up. "Well, there might be a way." She immediately had the groups full attention.
"You could travel to Blackclan and help the innocents escape to other clans. Or, Starclan willing, you could try to convince them to change their ways. I'm certainly not the only one who stopped worshipping the Dark Forest."
The group was all tempted by the idea of preventing a deadly war. But what if they failed? They held a small conference.
"What should we do?" Sugarfish asked worriedly.
Jaywhisper kept a calm and soothing tone. "I vote that we go through with it. If we don't do it then we and our loved ones are all destined to die."
Rabbitwind nodded confidently. "I agree. We should give it a chance."
Sugarfish now wore a determined expression. "Alright then, we'll do it."